Tina Revai posted : 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/local-blogs/off-pat/7136342/Fonterras-genie-in-the-bottle

"Top US diplomats and corporates pressured struggling Asian leaders to stop urging mothers to breastfeed. As a result tens of thousands of babies are dying".

This information has been confirmed to be true from INFACT Canada. They, Baby Milk Action and IBFAN have been working on this issue since 2005!!!  And there are now lawyers working on it in the Philippines.

 I knew that the companies, (especially Nestle) are trying to make their formula, the "world's formula" but didn't know the US side of it. Does this explain some of the reasons that the US government bodies refuse to get involved with Nestle partnering with cities and states?

I have contacted a colleague in the Philippines to ask what people on Lactnet can do to help with this issue.

Some further information:

17,000 children die in the Philippines every year because they are not breastfed.
The Codex Alimentarius standards and guidelines determine the compositional, nutritional and labeling criteria for food commodities and food products, including infant formulas and complementary foods. Additionally criteria are set for the use of food additives, biologically active ingredients such as hormones, as well as hygienic and microbiological criteria. 


Although the standard setting process is mandated to ensure fair trade practices in the food trade and protect the health of consumers, these dual objectives are often conflicted. For the food industry, consumer health is determined by risk analysis where trade interests are weighed in preference to health and nutrition needs. Food safety and the quality of processed packaged foods are weighed against production and shelf life requirements. On the other hand while fair trade is interpreted as the facilitation of trade, the heavy presence of food industry lobbyist, associations and the governments that support them ensure that trade (and marketing) priorities predominate the agendas and outcomes.


At the Codex Committee for Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, New Zealand has put forth a proposal to update the standard for follow up formulas. This initiative is to facilitate the marketing of infant formula in the Asian markets. The Asian countries are viewed as the growth potential for formula markets, while North American markets are stagnating.

Renee (in Vancouver) (sorry for the different fonts - I have cut and pasted and can't get it all the same).






   


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